The agony of having her heart torn away was no less severe than the pain of having her soul scorched by Demon Fire in the past. This pain, etched into her memory and body, was something Lin Yao couldn’t endure for a moment. Yet she couldn’t break free. The taste of blood grew stronger in her mouth, and fresh blood seeped through the gaps between her tightly clenched teeth… After the extreme torment, her consciousness gradually faded—
Was she still destined to have her soul scattered? She forced a bitter smile at the corner of her lips, despairing and powerless as her eyelids drooped.
Just as Lin Yao thought she was about to die again, Yan Wuyou finally broke through the Barrier amidst repeated attacks. The Wind Piercing Sword hummed as it shot out of its sheath, gathering three short Qi Swords that stabbed fiercely at the Demon’s foul-smelling tongue.
The Demon hadn’t expected Yan Wuyou to possess such profound inner strength. With no way to dodge in time, its tongue was severed clean off. The Wind Piercing Sword naturally countered Demons, and being struck by it was like adding fuel to fire. In excruciating pain, it retracted its demonic power, let out several miserable cries, and stumbled away, transforming into a furry mass before crashing through the window to escape.
Freed from its restraints, Lin Yao drifted down like a soft, floating willow catkin, collapsing into Yan Wuyou’s embrace.
Then, the True Energy that Yan Wuyou had previously channeled into her body began to circulate. A warm current flowed from her Dantian, converging at her heart meridian. Like a golden lotus blooming, it gently enveloped her scorched, torn heart before softly closing around it. With her face buried in the crook of his neck, the faint Moonscale Aroma wafted into her nostrils, dispelling the earlier suffocating sensation. She couldn’t help but greedily take several deep breaths. Leaning against his broad chest and feeling his strong, rhythmic pulse, Lin Yao finally fell into a peaceful, deep slumber.
“Lacking mental fortitude, what a hassle,” Yan Wuyou muttered under his breath as he tightened his arms around her and carried her to the bed. Turning his head, he glared at Tao Tao, who lay slumped on the floor like a pile of mud. “I’m talking about you!”
Tao Tao shook his furry head, struggling to get up by scraping his paws against the ground. Weakly, he said, “The taste of nectar… you wouldn’t understand…”
Yan Wuyou looked at him with disdain. “That was the Demon’s saliva…”
“Ugh—stop talking…” Tao Tao patted his chest with a front paw. “I was careless this time and fell for its tricks. Next time we meet, I’ll pound it into pulp to use as fertilizer! Luckily, you stepped in just in time, or both Lin Yao and I would be dead!”
As he spoke, Tao Tao tried to jump onto the bed but failed.
“Hey, give me a hand,” he said, stretching out a front paw toward Yan Wuyou, signaling for him to lift him up next to Lin Yao.
Yan Wuyou grabbed him by the ear and tossed him onto the bed.
“Hey, why are you so rough? You’re pretty gentle with Lin Yao… When she wakes up, tell her I’m injured and need to recuperate for a long time. She’ll have to fend for herself.” After saying this, he quickly transformed into specks of purple light and vanished into Lin Yao’s body.
Yan Wuyou looked at Lin Yao, sound asleep on the bed, and massaged his forehead in resignation. “Hopeless!”
He walked to the window and examined it carefully. On the windowsill, he spotted an extremely fine strand of fur. A cold thought crossed his mind: What a cunning fur-covered beast! It even knows how to disguise itself.
Yan Wuyou returned to the bedside, gently wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth before transferring another portion of his True Energy to her. Having abruptly lost two-tenths of his True Energy, he felt somewhat weakened. He coughed lightly a few times and sat on the edge of the bed, murmuring to the sleeping Lin Yao, “Junior Sister, circumstances leave no choice. You’re completely drained of strength now—I’m only taking you in to protect you! But the bed is only this big, and there’s just this one quilt. I’ve already lost two-tenths of my True Energy for you; I can’t freeze either, right? If anything were to happen to me, we’d both be doomed! So…”
Unexpectedly, before he could finish, Lin Yao suddenly opened her eyes—
Startled, Yan Wuyou immediately drew a Talisman and pressed it to her forehead!
But Lin Yao peeled off the Talisman, reached out to grasp the hem of his robe, and said softly, “Thank you, Senior Brother.” As she spoke, she strained to shift her body further toward the inner side of the bed.
“How did you…”
“I was just extremely weak, not completely unconscious. I heard everything you and Tao Tao said.” Lin Yao spoke with great effort, pausing before adding, “Luckily, with the True Energy you transferred to me, I feel a bit better. After resting tonight and regulating my energy tomorrow, I should be fine.”
The flickering candlelight cast a faint rosy hue over her originally pale face, and the sincerity in her strikingly clear black-and-white eyes made her appear pitifully touching. The scenes from his dream quietly surfaced in his mind, and he felt a pang of guilt.
Yan Wuyou slightly turned his head away to avoid her gaze, softening his tone. “Rest now. We can discuss everything else tomorrow when you wake up.” With that, he extinguished the candle and lay down fully clothed.
Though it was a matter of necessity, the distinction between men and women remained. Yan Wuyou took only a corner of the quilt, staying as close to the edge of the bed as possible, keeping his distance from her. Having suddenly lost two-tenths of his True Energy, he too was extremely weak and fell asleep before long.
Lin Yao, on the other hand, grew somewhat more alert.
In the darkness, she could hear his steady breathing and catch the unique scent of Moonscale Aroma. A few strands of moonlight sneaking through the window cracks fell upon his handsome nose, outlining his well-defined jawline. She found herself staring, captivated.
Though she had been seriously injured this time, misfortune had turned into blessing as she gained two-tenths of Yan Wuyou’s True Energy. She had always known he was exceptional in Spells and profound in internal energy, but she had still underestimated him! She tried circulating this energy, letting it flow through her body. It was remarkable—once it reached her Dantian, with just a slight exertion, she could condense a Small Core. This way, as long as she diligently practiced in the future, she could compensate for her frail constitution and hopefully restore her former strength.
Such precious True Energy must have taken him a long time to cultivate, right? And he had transferred two-tenths of it to heal her!
At this thought, Lin Yao stayed obediently curled on the inner side of the bed all night, not even turning over, afraid of disturbing Yan Wuyou’s rest.
Early the next morning, Wang Chuan was about to go find Yan Wuyou for breakfast. Just as he stepped one foot out, he saw Yan Wuyou emerging from his room. He was about to call out to him when he noticed Lin Yao also stepping out from the same room!
Then he heard Yan Wuyou ask with notable concern, “Feeling better?”
Lin Yao touched her chest and shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, but I still have no strength.”
“Get some more sleep later.”
“Alright.”
Wang Chuan’s heart churned with mixed emotions. Clutching his aching chest, he mourned inwardly: What happened last night? Senior Brother? Junior Sister? The kind who pledged themselves to each other?
The more he thought about it, the sadder and more stifled he felt. Silently, he withdrew the foot he had stepped out and quietly closed his door…After a long sigh and some contemplation, I realized that I was actually the one who had forced my way into this situation. Brother Yan, with his transcendent grace like jade trees in a precious forest, was naturally a being above worldly dust, possessing extraordinary skills and peerless valor! In terms of temperament and character, he was indeed a perfect match for Miss Shen. If Miss Shen and Brother Yan truly had mutual affection, I ought to support and bless them—why linger here as an unwelcome presence?
Once his emotions had settled somewhat, Wang Chuan began packing his belongings to leave first.
With just a few sets of clothes, Wang Chuan finished packing quickly. What embarrassed him most now was that his travel funds were still in Yan Wuyou’s hands! His stubborn pride nagged at him, refusing to let him ask for them.
Just as Wang Chuan was caught in this dilemma, Yan Wuyou’s voice sounded outside the door.
“Brother Wang?”
Knowing he had to face this sooner or later, Wang Chuan took a deep breath, stood up, and opened the door. He glanced at Lin Yao standing behind Yan Wuyou, forced a faint smile, and said calmly, “I was just about to bid farewell to you and Miss Shen.”
“What? So suddenly? I was actually hoping to ask you to gather some information for us,” Yan Wuyou said, stepping closer to Wang Chuan and lowering his voice. “My junior sister was attacked by a demon last night.”
Wang Chuan was momentarily stunned by this news but quickly regained his composure. Looking at Lin Yao’s pale face, he asked with concern, “Is Miss Shen unharmed?”
“I’m fine now, though I’m still somewhat immobile and will have to rely on my senior brother and you, Young Master Wang. But since you’re preparing to depart…”
“I’m not leaving! If there’s any way I can be of use to Miss Shen, please don’t hesitate to ask,” Wang Chuan interjected hastily, then realized his eagerness might seem rash and added by way of explanation, “I’ve been indebted to you and Miss Shen for your care along this journey, and I’m ashamed of it. Now that there’s a chance to repay you, I’m more than willing.”
Yan Wuyou gave a thumbs-up. “Brother Wang, you’ve got the heart of a true chivalrous man!” He then leaned in to whisper something in Wang Chuan’s ear.
Finally, he patted Wang Chuan on the shoulder and handed him a string of Wuzhu coins. “Meet at the Autumn Moon Pavilion at the hour of the Goat.”
Clutching the heavy string of coins tightly, Wang Chuan felt a surge of passion and nodded solemnly. “Understood!” With that, he went downstairs, grabbed two steamed buns, and strode off with renewed determination.
After the two of them finished their breakfast, they returned to Lin Yao’s room. Yan Wuyou sat by the table, tapping it lightly as he scanned the room and asked, “Tell me, what exactly happened last night?”
Lin Yao also took a seat. “Around half-past midnight, Tao Tao began to grow restless. When I opened my eyes, I saw a strange ‘face’ right in front of me! I was about to form a hand seal, but my right hand was tightly bound by the hair it flung at me. I tried to summon Tao Tao, but it seemed entranced and didn’t respond at all. Luckily, Tao Tao had sensed something before falling under the spell, which put me on guard. I had kept some magical power in my palm, so I managed to break free and run to find you.”
Yan Wuyou nodded slightly. “That demon wasn’t a tree demon, yet it knew how to counter your Tao Tao and accurately tracked your movements. It’s almost certainly connected to that man in black.”
“Did you ask Young Master Wang to gather information about the man in black?”
“Of course not! When we passed by Mrs. Lin’s grain shop yesterday, I sensed a faint, strange aura. And what a coincidence—the moment the three of us arrived, the shopkeeper latched onto Brother Wang and wouldn’t let go!”
Lin Yao understood: “Exactly. Anyone with eyes can tell from our attire that we don’t belong to the team. How could a steward be so blind? Perhaps it was all a diversion to investigate Tao Tao through me.”
“Let’s wait. When Brother Wang returns, we’ll know what’s unusual about the Lin family.”
Lin Yao blinked her extraordinarily lively eyes, puzzled: “Are you sure Young Master Wang can find out?”
Yan Wuyou chuckled lightly: “Don’t worry, when it comes to gathering stories, Brother Wang is the best!” After saying this, he took a sip of tea and watched as Lin Yao began to fret inwardly.
Lin Yao grew somewhat unnerved under his gaze, and noticing his strange expression, she cautiously asked: “Senior brother, what’s wrong?”
Yan Wuyou sighed, as if having made a momentous decision, and resolutely pulled open his collar——